Indicator for doors



(No Mdel.)

AH. HINCKLEY.

Y lINDIGMOR POR DOORS.

l1\To.417,724.4 Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

N. PETERS, Phvllrllwgmphur, Wnhlngwn. D. C.

. which is designed to be attached, as by screws,

lNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Doors,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD HINOKLEY, OF TRENTON, NEV JERSEY.

INDICATOR FOR DOORS.

SPECIFICATION fming part of Letters Patent No. 417,724, dated December 24, 1889.

Application filed March 30, 1889.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD HINCKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Trenton, in the county of Mercer, in the State of dac., of which the following is a full, clear. and exact specification and description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an appliance for indicating whether an apartment (such, for example, as a water-closet) is occupied or not; and the object of my invention is to provide an indicator which may be readily operated to bring the sign into exposed position, and in which no springs are necessary to retract or conceal the sign when the apartment is vacated.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for shifting the sign from different points relative to the actuating-bolt.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, and in which- Figure l is a rear View of my improved indicator. Fig. 2 is a View, partially in hori- Zontal section and partially'in plan, of the actuating parts of the indicator in position on a door. Fig. 3 is a front or outer side view of the indicator.

It is generally desirable that the fact of occupancy or vacancy of such apartments as water-closets should be indicated by some visual sign, so as to avoid awkward intrusion upon the privacy of the user. The means whereby I accomplish this result are as follows:

. A designates an oblong casing or housing,

to the outer side of a door at a point convenient for inspection. The outer side or face A of the casing A is formed with an elongated slot or opening a', through which the signal isA exposed to view. This opening is covered by a transparent panel or plate B, which protects the sign, Whilepermitting the inscription thereon to be readily seen. The

ends b b of the plate B are cut on oppositely- Serial No. 305,372. (No model.)

inclined lines, as showu,which come adjacent to two screws b 1)',let into the front A of the housing A at the inner side thereof. By this arrangement the plate is securely held in position and yet may be readily removed, if desired.

O is the sign-plate, which lies horizontally within the casing A, and said plate is pivotally connected by links or arms D to lugs d, formed upon the bottom of the casing A, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Lugs cl d' are also preferably formed upon the bottom of the casing A, so to alternate with the lugs d, and thus permit the Sigmplate to operate in the reverse direction from that which it 0perates when the arms or links D are connected to the lugs cl.

I will now describe the means for actuating the sign-plate C.

E designates a case or housing attached to the inner side of the door, and E designates a bolt Workin g endwise within the casing E, and provided with a protruding knob or handle e. As shown in the right-hand end of Fig. 2, a pin F extends outwardly from the bolt E and engages beneath one-of the arms D. It will thus be seen that when the bolt is thrown in one direction the sign-plate O will be raised and exposed through the slot a, while when the bolt is thrown in the opposite direction the plate will fall by gravity and the signal will be concealed, thus indicating that the apartment is empty. This dropping of the sign-plate by gravity is a valuable feature of my invention, as it enables me to dispense with springs in constructing my device, and thus greatly simplifies and cheapens the saine.

In the construction described the bolt-casing E and the housing A are supposed to be exactly opposite to each other upon opposite sides of the door G, and the bolt E is shown as the one which fastens and unfastens the door. In some cases, however, it isdesirable to set the housing A in the middle of the door. When thus arranged, the pin F isdispensed with and an L-shaped pin F is used inlieu thereof. In such case the pin F extends from the inner end of the bolt, butroperates at its outei` part against the arm D, as before. It will thus be seen that I have produced a TOO simple and inexpensive forni of indicator, which is durable in construction and reliable in operation.

Having thus described myinvcntion, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isc l. In an indicator for apartments, the combination, with the door-bolt, of an arm project-ing therefrom, a casing having a slot or opening,` for the display of a sign, a swinging gravitating sign-plate corresponding to said opening, and links pivotally connecting said sign-plate to the easing, one of said links being in the path of movement of the bolt projection, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an indicator for apartments, the eombination, with the door-bolt, of an arm proing-slot, said plate having inclined ends and movable retaining-screws therefor, substantially as and for the purposes described.

HOWARD HINCKLEY.

lVitnesses:

E. S. PARKINsoN, W. W. STERLING. 

